Treadmill Injuries to Australian Children on the Rise

In the last four years, 52 children have been treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital for injuries caused by treadmills. In the last 12 months alone, 25 children have been admitted for treadmill friction burns.

Previously, this type of injury was uncommon, with only four children being treated between 1998 and 2003. Medical staff became particularly concerned in March this year, when seven children were admitted with friction burn injuries from domestic treadmills.

The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation has responded to the rapid increase treadmill injuries by funding much needed research into this growing problem Researchers at the Royal Children’s Hospital Burns Research Group in Brisbane conducted a study between 1995 and 2007, revealing the full extent of treadmill injuries in Queensland children. Children under the age of four were found to be particularly vulnerable, injuring themselves by reaching under the treadmill’s rotating belt while being operated by someone else. Other injuries occurred when children put their hands into working parts.

Treadmill injuries in children often result in deep friction burns to the hand or fingers. Over one third of children who sustained treadmill injuries required skin grafts. Over two thirds of children became entrapped or wedged under the treadmill, worsening the damage. Professor Roy Kimble, Head of the Royal Children’s Hospital Burns Research Group, is calling for mandatory safety features in treadmills to protect children. “Treadmills have become more affordable in recent years and the number of families with a treadmill in the home has definitely increased. “Domestic treadmills need to be fitted with a safety guard at the back and a mechanism that immobilizes the machine when resistance is felt under the belt.

“Without preventative measures being taken these injuries in children will continue to occur,” he said.

Professor Kimble also stressed the importance of parents being vigilant when supervising their children. “In many cases, treadmill injuries in children occur while the parent or carer is using the treadmill. “Whenever possible, parents should be using treadmills in a dedicated room where the children will not be playing near the equipment. “Also ensure the treadmill is unplugged and stored away from children when it is not in use,” he said.

A similar spate of treadmill injuries in New South Wales children has resulted in a safety inquiry into domestic treadmills conducted by the Products Safety Committee on behalf of the Minister for Fair Trading. The inquiry could lead to a ban on some home treadmills, and a public awareness campaign into the risks of treadmills.

The complete findings from the Royal Children’s Hospital Burns Research Group study will be published in the Australian Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health later this year.

Source: Blackwell Publishing

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